ortho-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol (saligenin) and para-hydroxybenzyl alcohol (homosaligenin) are produced from the alkali-catalyzed reaction of formaldehyde with phenol (Lederer, J. Pr. Chem., 1894 [ii], 50, 223; Manasse, Berichte, 1894, 27, 2409; 1902, 35, 3844). The condensation reaction of phenol and formaldehyde can be run using a phenol/formaldehyde mole ratio of 1/1 or 2/1 (Hickinbottom, W. J., Reactions of Organic Compounds, Longmans, Green, London, England (1936) p. 102); the concentration of phenol is preferably kept higher than that of formaldehyde in order to avoid the formation of other than the desired products (Eapen, K. C. and L. M. Yeddanapalli, Die Makromolekular Chemie, Vol. 119 No. 2766 (1968) pp. 4-16). Whenever an excess of phenol is used, the unreacted phenol must be removed. The instant invention discloses a novel process for the production of hydroxybenzyl alcohols or hydroxybenzaldehydes comprising the removal of excess phenol from the resulting hydroxybenzyl alcohol condensate solution. It is particularly advantageous to use the aforementioned hydroxybenzyl alcohol condensate solution, without further purification, in the production of the corresponding aldehydes. Aldehydes which are the oxidation products of the alcohols having the reduced phenol levels can be purified simply, because the phenol levels are sufficiently low. Otherwise, costly and tedious steam distillations may be required primarily due to large amounts of excess phenol present in the crude condensate solution. Reduction of phenol also lowers the total organics and hence lowers the waste salt produced in the preparation of the aldehydes.